Adjustable spacer block for camera cases



, May 3, 1955 s. KONTOFF ETAL ADJUSTABLE SPACER BLOCK FOR CAMERA CASESFiled Nov. 12, 1952 INVEN'HITORJ SAUL KoN ,Q

By IRVING RU/BIN AI'ZJHMS) United States Patent Office 2,707,506Patented May 3, 195.5

ADJUSTABLE SPACER BLOCK FOR CAMERA CASES Saul Kontotf and Irving Rubin,New York, N. Y.

Application November 12, 1952, Serial No. 319,847

Claims. (Cl. 150-52) camera or accessory is smaller than the compartment7 it is liable to shift or become displaced in the compartment and oftenbecomes damaged.

A prime object of the present invention is to provide a case with acompartment, the size of which is adjustable to accommodate cameras oracccessories of various sizes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elongated movingpicture camera case with a compartment having a slidable partition foradjusting the length of the compartment.

A further object of the invention is to provide an elongated movingpicture camera case with a compartment having a slidable and pivotalpartition for adjusting the length and shape of the compartment.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an elongated movingpicture camera case with a compartment having a movable partition foradjusting the length and shape of the compartment with means for holdingthe partition in moved position.

A still further object is to provide a moving picture camera case with acompartment having a movable partition with means for holding cameraaccessories in an orderly position and against displacement.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a unit including aplate and slidable block for forming partitions in compartments in casesor bags.

It is another object to provide a moving picture camera case which issimple and durable and which can be manufactured and sold at areasonable price.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a carrying case for a moving picturecamera embodying one form of the invention, with parts being shownbroken away.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the base and slidable partition.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view thereof, taken on the line 33 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modified form ofmounting for the partition.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the device of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modified form of baseand block.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged bottom perspective view of the partition of Fig.6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 8--8 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a case made in accordance with theinvention comprises a body 10 formed of leather, artificial leather,plastic or other convenient material of this type. The body consists ofa rectangular bottom 11, side walls 12 and 13, and end walls 14 and 15.The bottom and end walls may be integrally formed and secured to theside walls 12 and 13 by stitching 16. The walls and bottom define acompartment 17 which is open at the top to provide access to theinterior thereof. Formed integrally with the side wall 13 at its top endis a hinged cover flap 18 which overlies the top of the opening in thecompartment. The cover flap is held in closed position by clasp members19 and 20 on the flap 18 and side wall 12, respectively.

According to the invention, a rigid plate 21 shaped to conform to theshape of the bottom 11 but slightly smaller is mounted in the bottom ofthe compartment 17 and is supported on the inner surface of the bottom.The plate may be made of wood, cardboard, plastic material or othersuitable material. An elongated slot 22 is formed in the plate in itscenter and extends from a point adjacent to but remote from one endthereof to'a point beyond the middle of the plate. A block 23,rectangular in shape and preferably of the same material as the plate,is slidable along the slot and for this purpose an elongated screw 24 isembedded in the block with its shank extending loosely through the slotand its head below the plate 21. A washer 25 is mounted on the shank ofthe screw between the plate and the head of the screw to facilitatemovement of the block. The block is disposed transversely of thecompartment 17 with its long sides 26 and 27 facing the end walls 14 and15, respectively. The opposite ends 28 and 29 of the block face the sidewalls 12 and 13, respectively, but are spaced slightly inwardlytherefrom. The block is so shaped that it may be readily grasped by thehand of the user and manually slid to any desired point therealong. Inthis way the distance between the block and the end walls of the casemay be adjusted so as to provide a relatively snug fit for a movingpicture camera or an accessory for the camera inserted into thecompartment 17 between one side of the partition block and either endwall of the case.

When the cover flap 13 is in closed position and the block 23 is inplace in the compartment, the camera or accessories in the compartmentis thus held against displacement and damage.

The case also includes a strap 30, the ends of which are looped aroundrings 31 hinged to strap loops 32 secured to the outer surfaces of theend walls 14 and 15. By means of this strap, the case may be supportedon the shoulder of the wearer.

While in the embodiment of the invention shown and described in Figs.13, the partition block 23 is slidably mounted on the plate 21, it willbe apparent that the block may be mounted so as to pivot as well asslide as in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4. In this form, theblock 23 is mounted on the end of a threaded bolt 33, extendinglooselythrough the slot 22'. The bolt is provided with a nut 34 on its freeend. The block and bolt may be turned as shown in Fig. 4 until thediagonally opposed corners thereof meet the side walls of the casewhereby the length of the compartment may be lengthened along one sideof the case and shortened along the opposite side thereof to receivevarious sized camera accessories.

In Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive, modified forms of a plate 21" and apartition block 23" are shown. The block 23" is slidably mounted as inthe form of Figs. l-3, but is formed with semicircular spaced grooves 35and 36 L along its long side surfaces 26" and 27", respectively, thegrooves being arranged in staggered or offset relation. The uppersurface of the plate 21" is roughened as indicated at 37 for coactionwith projections 38 on the surface of the bottom end 39 of the block soto hold the block in moved position. The block may be moved along theslot to provide compartments on both sides thereof and the end edges ofplate-type camera accessories may be positioned vertically on the uppersurface of the plate 21 with their end edges in the grooves of the blockwhereby they are held in orderly position against displacement.

It will be understood that the unit comprising the plate and slidablysupported block may be inserted in any suitably shaped case or bag inorder to form an adjustable partition inside the case or bag.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of ourinvention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A moving picture camera case comprising a body having a bottom andspaced end and side walls forming an inner compartment, :1 plate on thebottom of the body with an elongated slot, a block having elongatedgrooves to receive the edges of camera accessories to hold saidaccessories in orderly fashion, and a bolt extending through said slotand into said block and mounting the block for sliding or pivotingmovement in the camera case, to provide an adjustable partition in thecompartment.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said grooves are on each side ofthe block in staggered relation to each other.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein the plate includes a roughenedsurface, and the block contains projections engaging the roughenedsurfaces to assist in maintaining the block in adjusted position.

4. A moving picture camera case comprising a body having a bottom andspaced end and side walls forming an inner compartment, 21 plate on thebottom of the body with an elongated slot, a rectangular block ofslightly less width than the side walls forming a partition for thecompartment, and a bolt extending through said slot and into said blockand, mounting the block for sliding or pivoting movement in the sameplane, to provide an adjustable partition in the compartment.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein the plate includes a roughenedsurface and the block contains projections engaging the roughenedsurface to assist in maintaining the block in adjusted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS637,033 Richards Nov. 14, 1899 1,289,525 Nussey Dec. 31, 1918 1,325,537Ringler Dec. 23, 1919 1,668,405 Howell May 1, 1928 1,821,345 Larsen eta1. Sept. 1, 1931 2,628,694 Kushner Feb. 17, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS206,996 Great Britain Nov. 22, 1923

